


Adieu, Normalcy!

by MixnSpice



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Dangan Ronpa 3: The End of 希望ヶ峰学園 | The End of Kibougamine Gakuen | End of Hope's Peak High School
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Talentswap, Cancelled, Gen, Talentswap, Very light / minor Hinanami
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-28
Updated: 2018-06-09
Packaged: 2018-12-08 00:19:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 20,645
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11634996
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MixnSpice/pseuds/MixnSpice
Summary: [CANCELLED. REBOOT IS NOW OUT: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14743338/chapters/34085145]Hajime has always been a big fan of Hope's Peak Academy. This is why he's currently jumping in joy when he was scouted with the title of the Ultimate Guidance Counselor. For all his average and generic appearance, he never thought that he would ever be accepted by the prestigious school.Despite his expectations, he soon finds himself in an almost empty classroom surrounded with only a handful of classmates.  In helping his new teacher round up the rest of the class, he never thought that he would end up befriending a student from the reserve course. Then again, he would have never thought that his new life as an Ultimate student would only get more complicated as time goes on.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> EDIT: Changed the story's title. I felt that the old title didn't really fit with the story's current direction, as it sounded more like something suited for a wacky hijnks-filled high school slice-of-life. I hope that you guys don't mind the title change.

_Hope's Peak Academy. At this point, everyone knows it as a prestigious school with talented kids. What makes it even better is that the students are never enrolled in it: they have to be scouted and invited by the school itself, showing that they actually search for the best of the best in the country._

_I've always been a fan of Hope's Peak. You could say that getting in there has been something like a dream for me. But how can someone like me, an average guy with no special talents whatsoever, ever have the hope of getting in? I'll admit that at one point later in my life, I might have gone desperate to the point that I'll be willing to do anything just to get inside the school._

_But, sometime during my middle school years, one of the teachers in my school, Mr. Koda as he's affectionately called by his students, approached me when I had a hard time with one of the school subjects. He was the school's guidance counselor, and he thought that he should lend me a hand. From then on, he became my tutor._

_As my tutor, he's kinda eccentric, if you know what I mean. He tried to make our study sessions as interesting as possible, and I recall him promising to treat me to a ramen shop if I managed to pass the exams. Though he has a reputation of being a bit mischievous, he is still a good man. After a while during our study sessions, I understood why he's popular among his class._

_You could say that I started to admire him. I guess it started at some point when I saw how he acted around my schoolmates. He listened to them, feeling it necessary to hear them out. Of course, there are some other teachers who didn't approve of his methods, but he didn't care. He just did what he felt was right._

_When he found out that I once had a dream of entering Hope's Peak, he didn't brush it off or told me it was impossible like other people did. He just said that if I really have the passion to, I could work to make that dream come true. His words made me think a lot that time._

_And then, I found myself following his footsteps, though I didn't realize it at first. I saw myself approaching my classmates, befriending them, getting to know them better, and listening to them as they voice out their troubles. I helped them out, sometimes it's something simple like studying for exams, and other times it's something more complicated like staging a cute meeting between a friend and his crush. Before I knew it, I became something like a successor to Mr. Koda as I helped in approaching troubled schoolmates. For the first time in my life, I felt fulfilled, like I just managed to find something that was missing in my life._

_Of course, I never forgot about my dream for Hope's Peak, but just seeing the smiling faces of my friends made me feel like it could wait for another time._

_It's funny that once I was in my high school years, I received a fancy-looking envelope in my home. It's no doubt that it was a letter from the famous Hope's Peak Academy. By the time I grew to accept my normalcy, the school took notice of me. I remember literally jumping in joy when I recognized the seal of the letter. In it, it said that I've been scouted as a student for the school with the title of the Ultimate Guidance Counselor._

_When I told my friends about the entrance letter, I could say without a doubt that they were happy and proud of me. They will miss me, of course, but they wanted to let me know that I shouldn't let an opportunity like this go to waste because of them._

_So with many heartfelt farewells as well as back-crushing bearhugs, I walked past the gates of Hope's Peak with the acceptance letter in hand. I know that I will see other talented youngsters like me, and maybe they might be a bit surprised with my average appearance, but I thought that maybe we would all get to develop our talents together as a class._

 

 _This isn't what I was expecting at all._ Hajime sighed as he pressed his cheek to the back of his hand, waiting for his classmates to arrive in the empty classroom, that is, if any would bother to attend at all. As it turns out, the classes of Hope's Peak were only optional in order to give more time for its students to practice and develop their talents. Because of that, they rarely attend the class. If they do, it's usually because it has something to do with their talent and if not, it's probably because they have nothing better to do.

As the door of the classroom opened, he didn't even need to look back to know who just came in.

"Huh, you're early again, Hinata."

That voice belonged to Natsumi Kuzuryuu, Ultimate Yakuza. The next-in-line for the largest yakuza in Japan, the Kuzuryuu Clan, she is well-known for her temper and abrasive attitude. According to what he read up online, her brother, Fuyuhiko Kuzuryuu, was supposed to be the next-in-line, but instead their parents gave the position to their daughter, stating that her assertiveness and power will keep the rest of their members in line.

Walking next to Natsumi is Peko Pekoyama, Ultimate Bodyguard. Abandoned at infancy, Peko was generously taken in by the Kuzuryuu clan, in hopes of training her to be the perfect hitman for their heir. While her early training consisted of swordsmanship, an incident that nearly put the family's lives in line made her realize that her training wasn't enough, and she had it intensified in order to let her protect anyone with ease, to the point that she wasn't limited to swords.

Chuckling sheepishly, the boy turned to face the two. "Yeah, I know. I guess I'm just used to getting in class earlier."

"I still can't believe how you, of all people, starts the day with disappointment." Shaking her head, Natsumi took the seat behind Hajime. Peko was about to take a seat next to the yakuza heir on her right, but after receiving a glare from the young mistress as if to say 'I can handle myself, thank you very much', the bodyguard instead took another seat that made her one seat apart from Natsumi; far enough to give her space but close enough to get to her if something were to happen.

The next pair to arrive were Mahiru Koizumi and Hiyoko Saionji, Ultimate Artist and Ultimate Nurse, respectively. Mahiru always had the passion to save and record precious memories, but because her family could not afford cameras, she instead took matter into her own hands, literally, and has become famous for her almost life-like art. Hiyoko came from a family of traditional dancers, and despite their protests, she instead became a nurse. From what Hajime heard, it is said that her methods are effective but a bit harsh, as anyone treated by the Ultimate Nurse would never want to injure themselves ever again. He doesn't know what she exactly does, but he sure as hell doesn't want to know.

The guidance counselor then gave a stern look to Natsumi, as if to remind her not to cause any trouble for today, causing her to grumble and say, "I know, I know."

Honestly, since the first day of school the yakuza and the artist were at each other's throats and if it weren't for him, they would be the first two Ultimates to experience at first hand the nursing methods of Hiyoko, and even though the nurse is close friends with the artist, he doesn't think that even their friendship would spare Mahiru from a cold lecture.

The pair took seats next to each other as well as far away as possible from Natsumi and Peko. Things may have simmered down between the two of them, but even he could tell that there is still some tension between them.

As far as he knows, there is at least one more student to come inside the classroom, and she's probably the most unpredictable when it comes to her talent. She's probably going to be in here any second now, so he better prepare himself if the worst happens.

As if on cue, a person literally went flying through the windows, screaming as she landed onto Natsumi, causing the yakuza heir to yelp as they both crashed down on the floor. The boy placed a palm on his face as the two of them ended up in a rather…compromising position.

Peko remained seated, knowing that the young mistress would prefer to handle this kind of situation herself. For what seems to be an eternity of awkward silence, Natsumi began to roughly push the offender off her, her face completely red from embarrassment. "Get the fuck off me!"

"I-I'm sorry!" The student cried as she tried to get up, only to yelp as she fell over again, her legs giving out from the pain they received earlier that day. With a sigh, the yakuza heir took the hand of the student and helped her sit in a more comfortable position. She may not like getting in trouble because of this girl, but she's not going to leave her to suffer.

At that moment, Hiyoko scowled as she walked towards the injured girl, taking a quick examination at her legs before giving letting her disapproval known. "It's not as bad as I thought, so you can still walk after this. Honestly, do you really enjoy being my patient that much, you masochist?!"

Letting out an "Eep!", the girl began to cry out. "I-I'm so s-sorry, I-I mean it! I got h-hit by a t-truck on the way, honest!"

"How in the world could someone as skinny as you get hit by a truck, get flung all the way here, crashed into the school's window which I need to remind you, costs thousands of yen because not even a baseball bat could break them, and only got aching legs!?"

Mikan Tsumiki, Ultimate Lucky Student. Despite her title, she isn't as lucky as one would think. She had a history of being bullied constantly, and soon her bullies found themselves receiving what many would call 'divine retribution' of some sort. It doesn't help that she ends up getting in all sorts of danger that would have otherwise fatally injure or kill a normal human being and she ends up getting out unscathed at best or mildly injured at worst. Because of that, people started avoiding her in fear that they would get hurt because of her unexplained luck.

Before Mikan could stutter out another apology, Hajime decided to intervene as he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, it's alright. It isn't your fault." He said.

Sobbing in joy, the lucky student began to hug the guidance counselor while crying, "H-How could someone like m-me ever d-deserve your k-kindness?" With the situation gone awkward, he at least tried to make her feel better by lightly patting her back. Yeah, he once had a nervous wreck of a classmate in his previous high school, but they weren't this extreme.

This had been their daily routine for the past few days. Hajime gets to class earlier than the others, followed by Natsumi and Peko, then Mahiru and Hiyoko comes in, and finally, Mikan makes an unintentional grand entrance. Even though the number of students is a bit small, the guidance counselor hoped to at least make it feel like a class somehow.

What he didn't know is that today, the arrival of a new teacher would change everything in the class.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, everyone! If you guys remember from some time ago, I made a couple of submissions for Hinanami Week 2017. Out of the submissions I made, the talentswap one ended becoming my favorite and I thought that maybe I should expand on it. With this new story being an adaptation of the original 'short', as you could call it, there will be some changes in it. This is mostly an experiment of mine, so I know it probably won't be the best talentswap story out there, but I hope you still have fun with this.
> 
> Oh, and one more thing. Even though the current direction of this story is slice-of-life, I'll give you a fair warning that it would get dark some time later. How, that'll be another time for you to figure out.


	2. Chapter 2

Once he was released from her hug, Hajime and the other students went back to their seats. Half of the day might be boring without classes, so the students decided to pass the time just by spending it with each other as a small group. They only saw their other classmates once during their introductions, but after that they just went off to do whatever with their talents.

 _I still can't believe Hope's Peak really lets their students slack off._ Hajime thought, as he never heard the prestigious school having optional classes before his enrollment. Maybe they do have an image to maintain, after all.

Later that day, the group played a game of cards. It's cliché considering their situation, but it's better than being sitting ducks for the rest of the day. But at the moment Natsumi nearly had her victory, the door suddenly slid open, startling Mikan into accidentally knocking the cards away. For that, the yakuza heir gave the lucky student a look that basically said 'Are you fucking serious?'

As soon as they heard footsteps coming in, the students immediately scurried back to their seats in order to take a look at their visitor. From what Hajime could see, their visitor was a woman with her hair done in a pony tail, with her clothes looking more or less professional, like something a teacher would wear. If he had to guess her age, she would probably be in her early 20's. Somehow, he felt like he's seen her before, but he can't quite put his finger on it.

Once the woman stood in front of the teacher's desk, all sense of professionalism vanished when she cheerfully greeted them all. "Hello everyone! My name is Chisa Yukizome, and I'll be your new teacher as of today."

Natsumi sneered at their new teacher. "Heh, let's see how long it takes until this newbie breaks down."

"Kuzuryuu, be nice." reminded the guidance counselor, causing the girl to mutter a sarcastic, "Fine, mom."

"Don't worry, I have plenty of life insurances!" Ms. Yukizome replied cheerfully as she pulled dozens of papers out, proving that yes, she is serious about having plenty of life insurances. Only the gods above knows what kind of life she has to have her require so many of them.

Now that the woman took a better look at the class, she saw that there were only six students inside. "Huh, where's everyone else?"

"They don't attend classes." Hajime replied. He guessed that they probably prefer polishing their talents with the given free time, so he can't exactly blame them.

Ms. Yukizome sighed. "This is a lot worse than I thought." In a swift and fluid motion, she discarded her professional-looking clothes in favor of a blue dress and white apron. With the way she performed it, the boy now understood why she looked familiar to him.

"Oh, I've seen you before! You're the Ultimate Boxer shown on TV from years ago." He exclaimed. "I heard that you retired after winning the championship."

As soon as he said that, the rest of his classmates turned to face the woman in question in shock. This woman with a slender build is the famed Ultimate Boxer!?

Ignoring her new students' shock at the reveal of her title, she cleared her throat. "That isn't the point here. The point is, all of you are being a bunch of rotten oranges!"

Their teacher's words cut through them like they were paper, going by how they reacted with surprise. Mikan seems to take it the hardest, though, as she could be visibly seen sulking in the corner.

"Rotten...oranges?" Hajime repeated in disbelief.

"That's right; you're all a bunch of rotten oranges, and the most rotten ones I've ever seen!" Ms. Yukizome exclaimed as she pointed a finger to all of them as though she is accusing them of a crime. "However, you all still have a chance, because if you mix in all the rotten oranges together, they can still make a good orange jam!"

"I'm pretty sure that's not how making an orange jam works." The guidance counselor deadpanned.

"Regardless, you're all wasting your youths just by lounging around and expecting a bright red carpet to roll out for you when you graduate. So, I believe that you all should make the most of it by creating precious memories together, as you're only young once!" Surprisingly, the boy found himself agreeing with their new teacher.

"Hmph, the only thing we're wasting here is our time." Natsumi snarked. If there is one thing she wouldn't want to do, it would be being forced to go all buddy-buddy with the rest of the class. As soon as she said that, the yakuza found her shoulder tightly gripped by the surprisingly strong hand of the former Ultimate Boxer.

"Would you care to repeat that?" Ms. Yukizome asked with false sweetness in her tone.

"Er, I said, I might...consider it." No matter how much her instincts are screaming at her, she tried to keep her cool all while discreetly signaling Peko not to interfere, her bodyguard about to spring into defense for her young mistress.

Ms. Yukizome released her grip on the girl, bringing relief to both the yakuza and her bodyguard. "I'm glad that we could reach an understanding." After being released, Natsumi, as well as the rest of their class, made a mental note to never piss their new teacher off.

She walked towards the door and opened it, looking back at her class. "Come on everyone, let's go!"

"If you don't mind me asking, what exactly are you going to do?" asked Peko, speaking up after all this time. It appears that this is exactly what everyone else is wondering. With a chuckle, their teacher gestured everyone to follow her.

"Why, I'm going to round up the rest of your classmates!" She proclaimed. Knowing how much hell his other classmates who don't attend classes would be in, Hajime decided to become the volunteer in rounding up the rest of the class, less because he wants to help their new teacher, and more on because he wants to make sure that their new teacher doesn't go overboard.

Oh boy, this is going to be a long day.

* * *

 

The first student always spends his time in the dorm, so it shouldn't be hard to find him. The 'search party' consisted of Ms. Yukizome, Hajime, and their reluctant members: Natsumi, Peko, Mahiru, Hiyoko, and Mikan.

The teacher knocked on the door of the student's room. When the door opened, they saw a boy in a jumpsuit and beanie, with two mice sticking out of his pockets. "Is there anything I can help you with-" He stopped in mid-sentence when he saw the people waiting for him outside. "Um, who are you?" He asked, mostly referring to the woman in front of him.

"I'm your new teacher, and you're coming with us to class." The woman said with a bright tone.

Mahiru shook her head, almost feeling sorry for the boy. "I'm afraid resistance is futile."

Kazuichi Souda, Ultimate Breeder. It is said that while growing up, an injured bird landed on his family's workshop. Feeling sorry for it, Kazuichi took the bird in and nursed it back to health. Soon, more injured animals came to his home, and the boy found himself caring for all of them, using his skills as a mechanic to make their lives more comfortable as he built enclosures and toys for them.

The search party's next destination was the school's gym, where they would find the next two students. As suspected, a duo of a boy and a girl, were inside. The boy continued to parry the girl's wooden sword as she continued to strike at him.

"Your skills with the blade of old have improved." He said once they finished their training.

"Why, thank you." The girl replied, beaming. Upon hearing someone clear their throat, the duo looked back and saw their classmates, as well as a woman they never saw before.

"She's our new teacher." Kazuichi said, pointing his thumb at her. "I suggest just going along with her for now. Trust me, it's easier that way."

Gundham Tanaka and Sonia Nevermind, Ultimate Team Manager and Ultimate Swordswoman, respectively. As a team manager, Gundham is known to be a bit odd around his team, having ridiculously high standards, and a case of eight grader syndrome. Despite that, he is actually effective in coaching people. On the other hand, Sonia came from the small country of Nosvelic, and while she is the heir to the throne, she took up swordsmanship after witnessing her parents be nearly assassinated. Her noble upbringing added a bit of grace to her skills as well as their deadliness.

After joining them, the group walked inside the school's greenhouse. As some of them began to admire the greenery around them, Mikan fell over as she tripped on a small rock, landing on something soft. Bringing down a hand to feel it, the thing she landed on let out a small growl. Gulping, the lucky student turned her head back and what she saw made her scream, alerting her classmates.

The plant they saw looked like something straight out of a horror movie; it's teeth bared menacingly at the shaking girl. Before the swordswoman could unsheathe her blade, someone yelled,

"Wait!"

A chubby boy in a gardener's attire began running towards the monstrous plant, carrying a sack. Once he reached the plant, he opened it and pulled out a large rat, letting the maws of the monstrosity take it. The sight made Kazuichi clutch his own pets protectively.

Turning to face them, the gardener let out a sheepish smile. "I'm really sorry about Midori. She gets grumpy whenever she's hungry." He took out a red rose from his pocket and handed it over to Ms. Yukizome. "What is a lovely lady like you doing out here? Are you here to appreciate natural beauty?"

Taking it, the teacher nodded as she played along. "Yes, your garden really is quite lovely."

"Ah, your compliments make me feel all tingly inside."

Teruteru Hanamura, Ultimate Gardener. Teruteru is well-known for his gardening skills to the point he could take care of a rafflesia flower without barfing near its presence…as well as his tendency for dirty jokes, though they're not as frequent as one would expect.

After hearing complaints from Hiyoko about being tired, Hajime thought that maybe they should all take a break for now, something that everyone agreed with. Taking a stop for the cafeteria, the guidance counselor never expected to see two more of his classmates in there.

 _Just my luck._ He thought with a chuckle. In the kitchen, there was a burly guy in a chef's uniform preparing food with all the passion and energy he could muster. A girl in a coat could be seen trying to take a piece of barbeque with a dagger, only for her hand to be smacked away by the guy.

"Owari, these aren't ready yet!" He reprimanded her.

"Geez old man, it's just a taste." She replied, rubbing her hand.

Nekomaru Nidai, Ultimate Cook. It is said that his cooking is so passionate and intense, anyone eating them would feel the energy of how he prepared them. And then there's Akane Owari, Ultimate Blacksmith. In a desperate attempt to help her family, she took up an apprenticeship at a blacksmith, discovering that she's great at it.

Once their small break was over (as well as sampling Nekomaru's cooking), it's time to round up the rest of their classmates. From what Hajime heard, this particular classmate always spends her time in the music room, so it shouldn't be a hassle finding her. Just as he expected, the group heard what appears to be a lovely piano melody coming from the music room. Before anyone of them could come inside, however, the once soft tune devolved into ragged banging of the keys that startled the boy and his classmates.

"EEK!"

"The hell is that noise!?"

"I'M BEING CURSED!"

While it still has harmony and rhythm from a musician's point of view, in the point of view of an audience, it's unbearably frightening.

Straightening himself up, the guidance counselor slowly opened the door, confirming that yes; the student they're looking for is inside. Somehow, Ms. Yukizome managed to get in before anyone else did, and now she and the pianist are performing a duet on the piano. How the teacher is able to do that, he has no idea.

Ibuki Mioda, Ultimate Pianist. Since her young age, Ibuki has always been a hyper kind of person, so when her family brought a piano home one day, she took all her energy out on it. As a pianist, her works are well-known for being endearing to listen to despite the energy coming from them.

By the time their duet is over, the pianist grinned cheerfully as she gave the teacher a thumbs-up, showing her approval. "That was great, teach! Thanks for giving Ibuki some inspiration."

The teacher returned the thumbs up, giving her an equally cheerful grin. "Any time, my dear!"

Just two more students to go, and they'll be done. With how long they've been searching, it's almost afternoon now.

As baffling as it sounds, the next student was found helping a small chick back into its nest. Sighing in satisfaction, the brown-haired boy turned back and saw the group staring at him.

"You're looking for me, right?" He asked. "I'm sorry I didn't attend the classes a few days ago; there were some people I had to help."

Nagito Komaeda, Ultimate Volunteer. After losing his parents from a serial killer at an early age, Nagito was taken in by a small group of people. From there, he saw how they unconditionally help others despite the fact that they were nothing special and no one would bother recognizing them for their deeds. Inspired by them, he became a volunteer himself, noting how the most ordinary of people can do the greatest things.

With one more classmate to go, Ms. Yukizome had asked Nagito to watch over the rest of his classmates back in their classroom, to which the volunteer happily complied. Hajime followed his teacher in catching the last student. Ryota Mitarai, Ultimate Mangaka.

He didn't expect that they would literally try to catch him, as the round boy bolted from the sight of their teacher.

"Mitarai, wait!" The teacher called out as she ran after him, managing to keep him in her sight. The guidance counselor didn't know how long they've been chasing Ryota, but by the time she got close to him, he was left in the dust.

 _I really should exercise more often._  Hajime thought as he panted, placing his hands on his knees. He never knew that Ryota could run so fast despite his overweight body. Stretching his body, the boy took a good look at his surroundings.

From what he saw, there's a fancy looking fountain with a bench on it. In said bench, there's a girl his age sitting on it, playing with a console of some sort. Curiosity came over him as he walked towards her, wondering if she's a student around here.

When he saw what she was playing, a sense of nostalgic feeling went over him.

"Gala Omega, huh? I haven't played it in a while." He mused softly.

The girl heard him as she shot up, their faces almost meeting each other. "Wait, you know it?! People barely talk about it nowadays. It's a classic, don't you think so?"

Wow, she's passionate, he thought. Chuckling, the boy nodded. "Yeah, I remember beating it ten times in a row when I was younger."

"You did? Wow, I haven't met someone who beat it more than once." She was practically beaming as she talked about the game. Being this close to this girl allowed him to study her features more prominently. Cream-colored hair that ended in curls, a bit shorter than him, and her uniform consisted of a white blouse, brown skirt, and a red ribbon.

After a moment of talking, her eyes widened as she took a few steps back, lowering her head in what appears to be embarrassment. The guidance counselor was confused. What is she embarrassed for? Taking a look at her uniform again, he pieced it together as recalled a certain detail he heard before during the orientation day.

"Are you attending the reserve course?" He asked.

The girl sighed in resignation. "Yeah, thanks for reminding me."

"Ah, I didn't mean to hit a sore spot." The boy apologized, placing his hands in front of him as a form of submission. He's heard that some reserve course students aren't exactly happy with their position in the school, and some are even hostile towards Ultimates.

"It's fine."

That surprised him. Somehow, this girl isn't like the other reserve course students. She didn't hold his status as an Ultimate against him. If anything, she seems resigned to her fate of normalcy. It'll take a while before Ms. Yukizome comes back with Ryota, so maybe he should pass the time here.

"Mind if I keep you company for a while? You looked a little lonely back there."

"Hm, if you want to."

He held his hand out. "I'm Hajime Hinata, Ultimate Guidance Counselor."

She took his hand and gave it a reluctant shake. "Chiaki Nanami, you already know that I'm a reserve course student."

After she let his hand go, the guidance counselor scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Yeah, my bad. Nice to meet you, Nanami."

"It's nice to meet you too, I guess." She replied.

With their introductions said and done, the boy then took a seat besides her, with Chiaki going back to her game like nothing happened. He's good at reading people, so it was easy for him to conclude that she's probably nervous around him. He's heard that some students of the reserve course were a bit...how should he put it, 'skittish' around the ultimates, but he thought nothing about it.

But now though, he could see that there might be a grain of truth towards it. Working to make the girl less jumpy around him, he then said, "But seriously though, I can't believe some people still play it up to this day. I thought that the hype of the game died after other games came out that time."

"Not really. It's not as popular as it used to, but there are still plenty of people who appreciate the game. It's simple in graphics and gameplay, and it doesn't have a compelling storyline, but it still has a special place in my heart." The girl replied, a small smile forming on her face.

By that moment, Ms. Yukizome returned with Ryota, except that the round boy is currently bound and gagged as he is dragged along by the teacher.

"Hinata, we finally got everyone-oh! Who's this?" She asked as she stopped, taking a good look at the current companion of her student.

"I'm Chiaki Nanami." The student replied blankly.

"In that case, I'm Chisa Yukizome! You may call me Ms. Yukizome." The teacher introduced herself. Turning back to Hajime, she said, "I'd hate to cut this meeting short, but I'm afraid Hinata has to go back to class with me."

"Ah, yes." The guidance counselor turned to follow his teacher, but before he could go, he looked back at Chiaki. "I'll see you tomorrow here, right?"

Chiaki looked unsure if she should answer or not. After a while, she replied, "Maybe."

Hajime waved at her as he walked away with his teacher and classmate.

* * *

 

By the time the three of them got back to the classroom, Hajime went back to his seat along with the rest of his classmates. As he skimmed over the lecture / speech of Ms. Yukizome about how they should treasure their memories and bonds while they're still young, his mind went back to the reserve course student he talked with earlier.

At first, Chiaki appeared to be the loner type of person, but he could tell that there is a sense of loneliness and longing in her. He's not sure what the classes of the reserve course are like, but if possible, he would like to be friends with her.


	3. Chapter 3

The next day after class, the boy decided to fulfill his promise of meeting up with her again. The guidance counselor sincerely wanted to know the reserve course student better, but as he neared his destination, doubt suddenly came to his mind.

What if she never showed up?

What if she thought that he only wanted to be friends with her out of pity?

Hajime hoped that it would that it would never come to that. By the time he reached the meeting place, relief immediately came to him when he spotted Chiaki sitting by the bench, passing the time by playing another game on her GameGirl Advance. He actually thought that the worst could have happened, but he's glad that it wasn't the case here.

"Nanami, I'm sorry if I kept you waiting." He quickly apologized as soon as he arrived in her view. "Ms. Yukizome didn't let anyone leave until the classroom was spotless."

"It's fine." She didn't have the heart to tell him that she wasn't expecting him to actually arrive here.

The reserve course student lightly patted the vacant spot of the bench, gesturing the boy to go ahead and take a seat. With a nod, the boy took a seat next to her. By the time Chiaki lent Hajime an extra console she brought along, the two were about to start a match in Battle Brawlers; a strategy card game and a childhood classic.

"I haven't played this in a long time, but I won't hold back." Hajime proudly declared as he began his preparations for the incoming duel.

With her competitive spirit raised, Chiaki looked back at him with a small smirk. "Then I guess I shouldn't hold back, either."

For a game geared towards younger audiences, the first rounds were more intense than one would have thought. Detailed and careful planning was required not only to beat your opponent, but to also turn the tide should the player get unlucky and receive a Cursed Card; a card that would rarely appear at random at either side and curse the player who received it by debuffing the stats of their monsters as well as give ominous warnings about an impending doom. If given enough time, it would then summon the Harvester and cause trouble for both players.

After a long and grueling battle, victory was claimed by Chiaki as the reserve course student took advantage of Hajime's brief attack which gave her an opening to finish him off. Time seemed to pass by them as they engaged in more rounds with different games, more often than not ending with the reserve course student winning.

"That was a good game, Nanami." The guidance counselor stated as he let himself relax, placing the console down on his lap.

"I'm glad that you think so too." Chiaki replied, pleasantly surprised to find herself enjoying his company. It's been a while since she last played a game with another person her age, so she nearly forgot how fun it was to play with a friend.

A friend, huh? Maybe it's a bit too early to consider Hajime as one, but if it ever came to that, she wouldn't mind having him for a friend.

"But seriously, you really are great with these games." The boy said, awed. "It makes me wonder why the school didn't scout you."

"I don't think gaming could qualify as a legitimate talent." She rebuked.

"Well, maybe, but I'm sure that Hope's Peak has accepted talents different from the norm before."

"That might be true, but it probably won't be as useful as yours."

Now it was his turn to rebuke her. "At least it's something that you're having fun with. If I didn't know any better, I think that I'll probably be stuck being a guidance counselor for the rest of my life."

Glancing up at the sky, he added, "Besides, I think that just doing something you're really passionate about is meaningful enough."

Upon seeing the reserve course student's bewildered look, Hajime chuckled sheepishly. "I didn't mean to get so philosophical all of a sudden."

"I guess it's expected, coming from you."

"Huh, what's that supposed to mean?"

"It's nothing."

"Come on, Nanami, please tell me!"

Even as the reserve course student continued to almost playfully ignore or rebuke his pleas, from what Hajime observed, Chiaki isn't as tense towards him compared to their first meeting. While she isn't exactly acting casual yet, he could tell that she's a bit more relaxed this time around. His willingness to participate in an activity familiar to her, playing video games, might have helped with that.

Either way, Chiaki is slowly coming out of her shell.

* * *

"Is it me, or is Hinata going out a lot after class lately?"

Hiyoko scoffed at Kazuichi's rhetorical question. "Of course it's just you. Do you really think a goody two-shoes like him has some sort of secret girlfriend?"

"H-Hey! I was just asking!" The breeder defended himself, as well as trying not to entertain the possibility of the spiky-haired guidance counselor having a hidden love life behind the backs of the class. They all know that Hajime isn't the type of guy to do just that, is he?

A few days have passed by since the arrival of Class 77-B's new teacher, Ms. Chisa 'Spike the Tyke' Yukizome. While it was funny to see their teacher get embarrassed when the class brought up her former ring name, they didn't want to infuriate her too much, especially if the same teacher managed to intimidate a yakuza during her first day.

The students were a bit uneasy with each other at first, mostly due to the fact that they were dragged (literally in the case of Ryota) from their comfort zones and are expected to mingle with each other. It has taken some time and a bit of persuasion from Hajime's part, but now everyone has managed to tolerate each other somehow.

But then of course, there are still the fees for property damage...

And the damage for today is caused by none other than the class lucky student. This time, she got flung higher than usual and ended up crashing through the classroom's ceiling. It wouldn't be so bad, if it weren't for the fact that somehow, she managed to create a hole in the ceiling and got herself stuck there. If that wasn't bad enough, her lower body and legs were the only parts of her sticking out of the hole.

Teruteru whistled as he got a good look under Mikan's skirt. "I never knew that Tsumiki was that kind of girl, but then again they always said to never judge a book by its cover~"

With the help of Nekomaru, Mikan was pulled down from the ceiling, gasping and coughing dust off from her lungs. As the lucky student was given a quick examination as well as another harsh scolding from the nurse, Nagito took a quick look at the hole in the ceiling, studying it for a moment before coming to a conclusion.

"It's not as bad this time, so the repair fee will only be worth ten-thousand yen." The volunteer surmised. "I guess I'll be the one to pay for it again."

"Komaeda, you don't have to starve your wallet for us." Mahiru found the volunteer's willingness to pay for any and every damage their troublesome classmates caused to be a bit concerning.

"Hmph, just let him do whatever the hell he wants." Natsumi interjected. "It's not like anybody else would want to fucking cover for us."

The artist gave a stern glare at the yakuza. "You really haven't changed at all."

Before the two of them could get into another fight and thus increase the likelihood of damages, Nagito stepped in between them. "It's alright, Koizumi. I'm fine with covering up for the damages."

Things are slow as of now, but it's a good start. There are times where Hajime wished that he could put down a peg or two towards his classmates' destructive habits (mostly because he feels bad for Nagito constantly paying for the damages), but he supposed that's something to slowly improve over time.

For now, maybe he should keep quiet about the dumb rumors of him having a 'secret love life', not helped by the fact that Ibuki seems to believe in it. Knowing how overwhelming his classmates could be, they might end up giving poor Chiaki a heart attack.


	4. Chapter 4

Now that they thought about it, maybe being stuck mingling with each other wasn't so bad after all. But that didn't make today's events any better.

For starters, the duo of Nekomaru and Akane thought that the classroom was a good place to test the new weapons the blacksmith created. What was once a supposedly 'fun' game of catching daggers quickly went downhill as their fellow classmates scrambled to get away from the ensuing chaos.

Mikan, in particular, trembled like a leaf as she was paralyzed in fear, the daggers missing her face just by a centimeter, until Mahiru had to forcibly drag her away before the lucky student got hurt.

"Nidai! Owari!" Hajime called out to his two classmates, internally cursing at his classmates' destructive tendencies. When the cook and the blacksmith heard their names called, they barely managed stop as one dagger was carelessly tossed out of the window, creating a small hole in it. The guidance counselor mentally marked that as the second property damage this week, which is admittedly an improvement compared to five property damages per week like last month.

A scream from outside below the building broke him out of his thoughts, as he and his classmates looked out of the window to see what could have happened. From what they could see, a man, one they could recognize as a possible teacher, was out cold on the ground, with the stray dagger being a few meters away from him.

"Uh, guys, I think we broke him." Kazuichi stated, noting that the poor man must have fainted at the unintentional attempt on his life. Most students like Sonia, Ibuki, Nagito, Mahiru, and even Peko felt sorry for the teacher. There are others like Ryota, Teruteru, Gundham, and Natsumi who collectively winced at the situation. Then there's Hiyoko, who's almost tempted to state how weak the teacher must be, but she held her tongue.

Honestly, one of these days Hajime's own classmates will be the death of him.

Well, at least there weren't any devastating damages to the classroom this time around.

* * *

A loud knock was heard from outside the room's door, causing the student inside to grumble as her work was interrupted. Sealing the concoction she created, she made her way towards the entrance of her work room, momentarily contemplating on whether or not she should just slam the door into the face of the intruder who dared to disturb her. It's lunch time right now, for goodness' sake!

For Ruruka Andou, the Ultimate Pharmacist, it was utter blasphemy to have her work disturbed just like that. It's nice that people depended on her, but not during times like these! It would be a disaster if whoever decided to just barge in at a bad time.

In the end, the pharmacist instead opted to open the door like any normal person would, because on second thought, maybe whoever thought it was a good idea to ask for her help while she's still working during lunch time might have been in a desperate situation. Not to mention, slamming the door on that person might not be a good idea if she wanted her schoolmates to have a good impression of her.

Upon opening it, Ruruka was greeted with the sight of an underclassman, the one with big boobs and a bottomless pit of a stomach. What was her name again? Akane Owari or something like that? Yeah, that sounded right.

"What do you want?" The pharmacist questioned irritably. The underclassman seems to have not noticed her upperclassman's sour mood; either that or she didn't care.

"I hope that I'm not bothering you," Too bad, she was. "But the old man wanted the energy booster thingy he asked you yesterday."

...

Did this bimbo actually just called the Endurance Enhancer a simple 'energy booster thingy'?! Ruruka took deep breaths as she kept her temper in check, just like how Seiko and Sonosuke taught her. Gesturing the blacksmith to come inside her work room, the pharmacist pointed at the shelf located at the corner.

"The  _Endurance Enhancer_..." She corrected as she emphasized the drug's name, "is right there; it's the purple-colored serum inside a tall jar. Got that?"

Akane was somewhat annoyed at her upperclassman's grouchy behavior, but she didn't say a word as she went towards the shelf. There were several other drugs and medicine inside, but the blacksmith didn't pay any mind to them. She narrowed her eyes as she saw two identical jars that Nekomaru is looking for.

"Hey," The student called out to her upperclassman. "There's two of them here; which one is it?"

The pharmacist grew irritated; she told her such simple instructions very clearly and she doesn't have time to deal with this today. "Look, just the take the one nearest to you and leave as soon as you got it."

"Alright, I got it." Akane huffed as she took the nearest one with her, and following Ruruka's instruction, left the room.

When the door closed, the pharmacist took a quick peek outside and saw that the girl was gone. Finally, there would be no more distractions for her today. With a satisfied smile, Ruruka turned back to her work, only for her smile to immediately drop as she took a good look at the shelf.

The Energy Enhancer was still there, and the aphrodisiac serum next to it, which was a slightly lighter shade of purple, was gone instead.

"Oh shit."

* * *

"Thanks for the food!"

The students of Class 77-B and their teacher said as they gave thanks to the food prepared by Nekomaru. While a few of the students have already gotten a taste of the his cooking, the other's have only heard of what it's like, so today's lunch would be an interesting one indeed.

"I want seconds!" Akane demanded as she held her plate out, weirding out her other classmates who haven't even taken a single bite off their food yet.

"Coming right up!" Nekomaru said with a hearty laugh as he complied with Akane's request, filling up her plate twice the size it was before, to which the blacksmith started to eat with relish.

Though he was already familiar with the taste of the guy's cooking, Hajime couldn't stop the feeling of his taste buds melting as he took the first bite from his food. Nekomaru really did earn his title of the Ultimate Cook.

Upon hearing a soft sniffle, Ryota turned towards the person near him, which happened to be the volunteer. "Komaeda, are you crying?" He supposed that it might be an effect from the cook's dish, something that he could relate to.

The boy chuckled as he wiped a tear away. "I guess so. I never thought that I'd see the day where everyone spends time together as a whole class. Just seeing all of you together really brings Hope's Peak ideals to life."

"You sure that you don't want to eat?" Mahiru asked Hiyoko as the nurse stubbornly pushed her plate away.

"I don't know about you, but something about this feels very fishy." The nurse replied.

Just as though she jinxed it, Sonia suddenly collapsed onto the floor, breathing heavily. Gundham immediately rushed towards her. "Conqueror of blades, what affliction has befallen you?!" He said with concern in his tone as he held the swordswoman by her shoulders.

Facing him, her breathing grew ragged as her cheeks were tinted pink. "Tanaka, I think...I would need more training...for my...self-control."

The team manager turned red at his partner's statement, not helped by the fact that he too started to feel the very same heat that has befallen her. Speechless, the two were stuck staring at each other, maybe a bit too close to each other's faces, as the rest of their classmates found themselves in similar situations.

Ryota was passed out on the floor, which is probably for the best as he's spared from a future embarrassment. Meanwhile, Mahiru whipped out her sketchpad as she started doodling with it, inspiration flooding her as she unbuttoned a blouse. "This is so wrong, but it feels so right."

Even with his body's lust, Kazuichi saw what sort of situation his two classmates are in, and so he decided he should step in before the two of them ended up doing something they'll regret later. He would have gotten there soon, if it weren't for the fact that Nagito was hugging him a bit too tightly.

"K-Komaeda, please let me go." The breeder weakly stuttered, but the volunteer wouldn't budge.

"I'm afraid I can't. You know that we must let nature do its course." Nagito replied, causing Kazuichi to look at him with his mouth agape.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean!?" He yelled.

A furiously blushing Natsumi was trying to push an equally flustered Mikan off of her, but to the yakuza's surprise, the lucky student has more strength than she could have imagined. Her own horniness was not helping her situation whatsoever.

Peko would have rushed to her young mistress' aid, if not for Ibuki suddenly latching onto her, screaming, "Let's make music together!"

Then there's Akane and Nekomaru, and well, the less said about their current situation, the better. Even Ms. Yukizome and Hajime weren't spared from this treatment. Their teacher seemed to sigh dreamily while mumbling a person's name.

The guidance counselor twitched as he tried to banish any and all sinful thoughts. He shouldn't think about his best friend that way! In an attempt to distract himself, he scanned his surroundings and saw that his classmates weren't faring well about this. Well, except for Hiyoko; it seems that she's the only one who wasn't affected by this.

The nurse let out a scream as Teruteru tried to lunge at her. Acting quickly, Hajime stood up and with a yell, kicked the gardener into the wall.

"Arianna Grande!" The gardener cried out as his head collided with the wall, knocking him out.

Hajime felt his head went light, and before he knew it, he collapsed on the floor.

* * *

When Hajime woke up, he saw that all his classmates who were afflicted are currently inside the school's infirmary, and it seems that he's the last one to wake up. As expected, a very unhappy Hiyoko was looking after them.

"I really hate that bitch of a pharmacist." The nurse growled irritably.

"Huh, that's very hypocritical, coming from you." The yakuza rebutted.

"You want to fucking go, lolicon bait?" Hiyoko challenged as she stood up, trying to make herself look taller to the bedridden girl.

He sighed as he tuned out the ongoing argument between the two hot-headed blondes with equally childish looks. His head hurts too much for him to play peacemaker right now.

* * *

"Hinata, you look tired today. Did something happen?" Chiaki asked him as he sat next to her.

Clearing his throat, Hajime let out an awkward laugh as he tried to come up with a decent excuse. "It's nothing, really; just a very exhausting school activity." That was only partially true, if taken through context.

As the reserve course student stared at him, he chuckled sheepishly. "Come on, Nanami. It's really embarassing, okay?"

To his relief, his friend decided to let the matter drop. "Alright, if you say so."


	5. Chapter 5

"Everyone, please turn your textbooks to page 137, chapter 2."

The students of a particular reserve course class complied as they opened their books, turning to the required page as their teacher had told them. Even so, it didn't hide their bitterness and resentment towards their current position in the school's hierarchy.

Like the others, Chiaki had her book turned to the page as ordered by the teacher. As she leaned her cheek to the back of her hand, she stared blankly at the textbook; her mind wandered away from their teacher's dull lecture as she thought back to a certain boy she met since the past five months.

Hajime Hinata, the Ultimate Guidance Counselor.

Students of the reserve course were not forbidden to interact with the Ultimates, but it was highly discouraged and frowned upon by their teachers. It is all in order to reinforce the idea of people with talent being superior compared to the ordinary, talentless masses.

She found it weird that even though he's an Ultimate student, he decided to spend his time after classes with her, a simple reserve course student when most Ultimates would have busied themselves polishing their talents. Thinking back on it, she honestly thought that he was only 'befriending' her because it's a way of exercising his talent. But after spending so much time with him, she could now see that wasn't the case at all.

Her thoughts were cut short, however, as something small and hard darted towards her, hitting her in the forehead. With a surprised gasp, the reserve course student blinked as she shot up, only to be met with the disappointed glare of her homeroom teacher.

"Ms. Nanami, you may not have fallen asleep in class this time, but I'm afraid you're still not putting enough effort during my discussions." He harshly reprimanded as he turned his back away from her, grabbing another piece of chalk to replace the one he threw earlier. "We're already on page 142, by the way."

Red with embarrassment, Chiaki hurriedly turned her textbook to the page her classmates are already on, mentally reminding herself to read the other pages she missed later. "I'm sorry."

Grunting in frustration, the teacher added, "Next time, at least pretend that you're actually invested in my lessons." Turning back to the board, he continued to write down the important details of his discussion. "As I was saying..."

Though she was paying attention to the lesson this time, the snickers of her classmates weren't unnoticed by her.

* * *

When lunchtime came, the other students of the reserve course busied themselves by chatting among each other. Most of the time, their conversations consisted of simple topics that any other group of teenagers would have talked about: the news, current trends, gossip, and the like. Though there are some times where the students instead discussed about the unfairness of Hope's Peak for dumping them among the lowest.

Chiaki paid no mind to them. Instead, she opted to spend some time outside the reserve course building, at the spot with the fountain and bench. Besides time after classes, lunch was the only time she could go out and play her video games. Gadgets weren't exactly allowed during classes, after all.

Playing video games usually helps in taking her mind off things that were stressing her, but it didn't seem to be working this time. Sighing, she turned her console off and glanced at the main building of Hope's Peak. Honestly, she never thought that she'll ever make it into the school; the only reason why she even bothered to attend the reserve course was because her parents wanted her to.

"You look troubled. Is something the matter?"

The reserve course student lifted her head and turned to see the source of the voice. She has seen this man before; all the students of the school has at least once during their welcoming ceremony into the school. Jin Kirigiri, the current headmaster of Hope's Peak Academy.

"Not really." She answered, looking away from him.

Jin raised a brow, scrutinizing her carefully before nodding. "I see." Coming forward near her side, he asked, "Would you mind if I take a seat beside you?"

"No, it's alright."

With a nod, the headmaster took a seat next to the student on the bench. "It's really nice to relax in here, especially during times like this, isn't it right?" Jin remarked with a chuckle.

"I guess so." was what Chiaki replied. It was good to spend some time alone in here, but she'll admit that some company is nice once in a while. A certain Ultimate proved that to her.

He cleared his throat. "But anyways, I have a question, if you don't mind me asking." At that moment, the student couldn't help but feel a little worried. She knows that she isn't exactly popular with the teachers of her class, and she wondered if that was the reason why the headmaster decided to personally see her. Fortunately, that wasn't the case here.

"Should the opportunity give itself to you, would you be willing to trade everything in order to be someone significant?" He asked.

It was simple question, and yet it managed to strike Chiaki. Ever since she met Hajime, not only was she enjoying his company; she also began to admire him for his confidence and determination. And from what she heard, he's managed to keep his destructive classmates in check, something that even she wouldn't be able to do if she was in his situation.

Unfortunately, the recognition of her friend's achievements made her realize how low in level she is in compared to him. Her status as a reserve course student aside, there's not a single noteworthy achievement on her part. She's a loner, and no matter how much he believes in it, the closest thing she has to a 'talent' is something that wouldn't even benefit anyone. Hajime has so much to give her, and yet she has nothing to give him back in return.

Now that she thought about it, she remembered being given an offer by one of the school's staff; one that hasn't been given or even mentioned to any other students of the reserve course: The Hope Cultivation Program. They didn't give her any exact details, as all they said was that it was a special program done by the school in order to give a talent for one ordinary person. Not only that, the person chosen would also end up becoming a symbol of the school's ideals.

"I...I don't know." Chiaki admitted, answering both questions between the headmaster and the offer, lowering her head.

Jin looked at her in understanding. "It's alright to be confused. It's my fault anyways for asking you such a difficult question." Closing his eyes, he added, "But personally, I don't agree with that mindset. Sacrificing everything just to feel fulfilled is something that doesn't sit well with me."

Gazing at the sky, the headmaster took a deep breath. "I know that some people aren't simply satisfied with ordinary lives, but I think living a simple life is contenting enough. There are a lot of people that I know who wish to have simpler lives."

Jin gave the student a warm smile. "Normalcy isn't something that should be feared, after all."

Standing up, the headmaster took one last look at her. "Well, I shouldn't keep you here for too long; lunchtime is almost over." Waving goodbye at her, he turned back to the main building.

Following his words, Chiaki stood up, heading back towards the reserve course building. The words of Jin Kirigiri made her think over her situation once again. Maybe, he could be right.

* * *

"Wow, you beat me again, Nanami!"

Hajime said as he laughed with good nature at his loss. Chiaki doesn't know why, but something about it made her stomach churn. Maybe it's because it was unbelievable to see someone who keeps losing to her still enjoy playing video games with her. She still didn't know what she did to deserve someone like him.

"Hinata, do you ever get tired of losing to me?" She asked, maybe to hopefully relieve the worry that has been bothering her.

The boy made a 'hmm' sound, thinking about what she said. "Well, not really. I mean, it is frustrating to lose at video games, but if you're having fun with someone, I don't see the point of being upset."

"I see." Sometimes, she wondered if the guidance counselor was maybe too understanding for his own good. "So, how are your classmates doing?"

He smiled at the mention of his classmates, fondly remembering his moments with the class today. "Ah, they've been doing well. Everyone's really relaxed with each other right now, even Koizumi and Kuzuryuu have learned to tolerate being near each other for the time being."

Hajime chuckled in remembrance of what transpired yesterday. "Speaking of her, when the class decided to vote for the class representative, Kuzuryuu sarcastically nominated me. She said that since I'm the only responsible and sane person in the entire classroom, I might as well be their mother. And then Komaeda thought that it was a good idea, so the others followed him. So now, I'm the class rep, all because of my classmate's sarcasm."

The story was meant to be humorous, but instead Chiaki found that event as an another achievement on Hajime's part. He must really be that great if the whole class just chose him to be their representative just by a vote of landslides. On the other hand, she still hasn't done a single thing with significance.

The words of the headmaster still rings in her, and even though she might consider joining the Hope Cultivation Program, the logical part of her told her that it was too shady; too good to be true. But even so, maybe that could be her only chance of finally standing next to Hajime as an equal.

* * *

By the time Jin returned inside his office, his eyes narrowed as he met with another person. "Fancy seeing you here, Mr. Kirigiri." The person greeted, but the headmaster knew about his true intentions.

"I could say the same for you, Mr. Inoue." He replied.

Satoshi Inoue, the head of the Steering Committee of Hope's Peak Academy. Satoshi was a man in his late 30s, with rusty brown hair and a well kept, full grown beard on his face. The man sighed, shaking his head. "Don't think that I didn't know of what you did earlier, Jin Kirigiri. I find it odd that you, of all people involved, had a last moment of hesitation concerning the project. Could it be because of your conscience? Or rather, did you find the idea of reverse psychology to be effective?"

"It has nothing to do with that; I only did what I believed what was necessary. You know that we shouldn't pressure such decisions on a student; we need to give her some time to think about it first." Jin retorted.

"Then I believe that we are on the same boat. You remember why the Kamukura Project, or alternatively, the Hope Cultivation Program as presented to our subject, was green-lit, do you?"

When the headmaster nodded, he continued, "Our country may be in an age of prosperity, but there are still plenty of issues in the way: low birthrates, good workers dying from overexerting themselves in their work, and much more. These are problems that won't just be solved with the way things are right now. Our Ultimates may be doing their very best, but even so their efforts aren't simply enough. We need someone to represent the school's ideals and the country's hope, and maybe then we'll be led to a golden age for mankind."

The chairman added, "The entire reserve course students have managed to pay their tuition, so it was difficult finding the perfect test subject at first. Instead, our groups narrowed down our candidates, consisting of those with the lowest self-esteem, the ones least liked by our teachers, in order to give them the motivation and a bigger reason to consider the program. It would be amazing, to find an ordinary person become the vessel for the philosophy of Hope's Peak Academy."

"I could see where you're coming from." Jin said.

Satoshi let out a chuckle. "I believe our project shall be a success. After all, the Shingetsus shall provide aid for the funding and research, and Matsuda shall assist us." Jin raised a brow at the mention of the Ultimate Therapist's name, but he supposed Yasuke has his reasons for involving himself, possibly due to his past of being a neurologist before retiring for an unspecified reason.

"You may be the school's headmaster, but I'm still the head of the Steering Committee and in the end, we make the final decisions for the school." The chairman stated. "Besides, you're well aware that in order achieve the greater good, sacrifices have to be made."

"Sacrifices..." The headmaster repeated.

"Yes, sacrifices." Satoshi affirmed. "After all, what's the happiness of one person compared to the happiness of the masses?"

* * *

"Class, a new student shall be joining with us today. Everyone, please welcome him."

Chiaki lifted her tired head in order to take a good look at her new classmate. The transferee was a blond-haired boy, wearing the uniform for male reserve course students, composed of a black suit and tie. He appears to be on the shorter side, as well as having a surprisingly youthful face. As a matter of fact, his face could be easily compared to that of a baby or a toddler. Neither did she nor the whole class voice their opinion out loud.

It proved to be a wise decision when the boy spoke. In spite of his short stature, he leered down at his peers as he introduced himself.

"I'm going to say this just once, so you bastards better remember it. My name is Fuyuhiko Kuzuryuu."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope that you guys don't mind the inclusion of a pseudo OC in here; characterizing the Steering Committee might be a bit difficult for me if they were just a bunch of nameless blue-faced men. Not to mention, I sort of wanted to give them a motive behind the Kamukura Project besides 'for the ~~evulz~~ talent'.
> 
> EDIT: Retconned and revised some of Jin's dialogue in order to better reflect the shady character he actually is. I felt that the old dialogue made him far too saintly than I intended.


	6. Chapter 6

Several reserve course students stared is disbelief at what they were currently seeing. Another student from the main course was walking through their building, right now during lunchtime. Her uniform was enough to let them know that she's an Ultimate. There was no doubt about it.

Unlike the other main course student who frequently visits the reserve building around the same time, this girl had a more hostile aura. Some students quickly stepped back in fear as she passed by them, letting them know how pissed she currently is. Had it been any other Ultimate, they would have made biting comments about their presence, but not around the Ultimate Yakuza, unless if they had a death wish of some sort.

Natsumi continued to grimace as she passed by more students of the reserve course. She paid no mind to them; trash like them doesn't deserve her attention. By the time she got to her desired destination, the yakuza heir stormed inside the cafeteria, startling the students in there. Many of them began to murmur among themselves.

Their eyes fell on her as she began walking towards the transferee. Judging by their similar appearances, they would be correct if they assumed that the two were siblings.

When the transferee turned his head, he was face to face with the disapproving look of his sister, nearly making him spit out his drink just by how sudden her appearance had been. "What in the actual fuck are you doing in here?"

Fuyuhiko struggled to come up with an answer as he coughed, smacking his hand across his chest. Regaining his composure, he narrowed his eyes towards her. "Do you have a problem with that?"

"Why didn't you tell me that you're in the reserve course?" Her hand was gripped tightly on the table. In hindsight, maybe he should have informed Natsumi better about his decision to attend this class.

Sighing in defeat, he gave her an apologetic look. "I guess I should have told you better about it. Well, let's just say I have my reasons."

"What is she doing here?"

The yakuza turned to the source of that statement. A viridian-haired female reserve course student, someone Natsumi personally knew before. The fact that her classmate, Mahiru, is with her, there's no doubt about it. Of course, this bitch just has the balls to come near her personally.

"Sato, that's enough." The artist pleaded, attempting to pull her friend away from the oncoming conflict that was about to happen. But Sato didn't move an inch; her eyes glaring intently at the other main course student in the room.

"But Koizumi, how do I know if she's truly changed?" She questioned as she forced her friend to let her go, pushing the artist to a safer distance should things go awry. For all she knew, Natsumi could be just playing nice for the time being, and would slip back into her bullying ways towards Mahiru anytime. Not to mention, her own best friend might not even be telling her the whole story.

"If there's anyone here who hasn't changed at all, it's you." The ultimate yakuza retorted, returning the glare towards the viridian head. "God, still so annoyingly protective of your girlfriend here as you were all those years ago."

"Well, that makes us even." Sato replied, daringly approaching closer even as she slightly flinched over the yakuza's glare; it would have that kind of effect on anyone, after all. "I can't believe you would send one of your own members in here."

Normally, Natsumi should know better than to respond to petty insults such as this one, but with the offender being Sato, she knew that she wouldn't let this girl get away with it, not with her new position.

The yakuza heir grabbed the reserve course student by the collar of her blouse, and after giving Mahiru a warning stare to not interfere, she directed her glare towards Sato. The reserve course student struggled under the tight grip of the yakuza, being forced to meet her by the eyes.

"Normally, I'd be in a good mood after this, but a bitch like you just had to cross the line." Natsumi said, her face darkening. "I thought our positions in the school would make you smarter, but I guess it didn't. People like you should know your place here!"

Her right hand released Sato, and curled into a fist as she prepared to strike the viridian head, her other hand keeping the girl restrained. Sato closed her eyes, bracing herself for the impact. Natsumi managed to strike a precise hit, but the viridian head never felt any sort of pain.

When Sato opened her eyes, she saw that another student from the reserve course, one that she could recognize being her classmate, stood next to her. What makes it even more baffling is that her classmate shakily held the fist of her attacker, and now that she took a closer look, she could see that her classmate was slightly pushed behind and the hand she used to stop the yakuza was red, likely from the impact of the punch.

Natsumi narrowed her eyes at the unwanted nuisance. "Move; this doesn't concern you at all." When the cream-haired student didn't budge, she growled in annoyance. "What, do you have some sort of hero complex or some shit?"

Fuyuhiko stood up, placing a hand on his sister's shoulder and causing her to turn towards him, softening her features even if only a little. Shaking his head, she sighed, yielding to her brother's silent request of standing down, finally letting go of Sato. In return, the other student let go of Natsumi's fist, finally taking the time to rub her now reddening palm.

"I don't have the time for this." She grumbled, preparing to leave this conflict as peaceful as she could possibly get.

* * *

At the end of today's classes, Chiaki prepared to leave the classroom, taking her bag with her. Before she could leave, however, someone called out to her. "Hey."

Turning back, the reserve course student saw that it was Fuyuhiko who called her. "Your name's Nanami, right?"

With a nod, she replied, "Yes, why?"

"Nothing personal, really. I just wanted to say that I'm surprised you tried to break the fight earlier while the others didn't do jack shit." The boy shuffled, placing himself in a more comfortable position on his desk to have a better look at her. "It was really ballsy of you."

Chiaki isn't sure whether he was complimenting her or insulting her, but judging by his tone, it's probably a mix of both. "Hmm, I guess so."

"Although, with what you did earlier, I'm pretty sure that's not the proper way to stop a punch." He said, causing the reserve course student to turn red in embarrassment.

"Sorry, it's just that I've always seen it done that way." She replied. Even now, she had no idea what compelled her to do that earlier, stopping the fight, that is. Maybe it was seeing the sort of danger a classmate was in. Or maybe she didn't want to see the conflict spiral worse than it already had. She guessed that some of Hajime's traits are starting to rub off on her, after all.

The boy let out an amused chuckle. "Next time; if you want to stop a punch, just grab them by the wrist; it's a lot easier and more practical in situations like that. I know that catching a punch by hand looks badass and all, but never do it unless if you're a trained professional or something like that."

"Thanks, I'll keep that in mind."

Even as she prepared to leave the classroom, she thought back to her new classmate. Ironically, despite being a member of a renowned yakuza clan, Fuyuhiko seems to be a more pleasant person compared to the rest of the class. Had she been her old self, she would have no problem avoiding him if it means avoiding complications she'd rather not deal with. But now, she supposed that it wouldn't hurt to try making more friends.

Tomorrow, maybe a round or two of Gala Omega with him would be fine.

* * *

"That's bullshit!"

Fuyuhiko exclaimed for the umpteenth time that day. He stared at the console's screen, with the bold letters 'GAME OVER' appearing to be mocking him.

Chiaki couldn't help but smirk at his reaction. "You were saying about beating me?"

Her classmate grumbled. "Yeah, yeah, I know that I said I used to kick my sister's ass all the time with this game, but come on! How the hell am I supposed to know a trick like that even exists!?"

"I guess you weren't playing it that much."

"Excuse me for not having too much free time, you bastard."

She was about to retort until she realized that he is actually right back there. Sighing, she leaned back on the bench. "You have a good point there."

Noticing her solemn look, he turned to her, concerned. "Crap, did I hit something sensitive?"

"No, it's nothing." She replied, brushing it off. Seeing that Chiaki wouldn't ever elaborate on it, Fuyuhiko decided to drop it and change the subject.

"I still can't believe that you do this every day with an ultimate. I'm pretty sure that most of them were self-righteous asshats." He said as he stretched his arms. "Are you sure that this guy isn't just being friends with you just to practice his own talent?"

"Hinata isn't that kind of person." She rebuked.

"You wouldn't know shit like that easily." The boy refuted in turn. "What's to say that he only befriended you out of pity?"

"You're right that I wouldn't be able to know things like that for sure." Chiaki admitted. "But, I truly believe that he's friends with me for real. It's true that there might be a reason, but not in the way you're thinking of."

Fuyuhiko huffed. "An outlook like that makes you an easy target for trickery." Glancing back at his console, he gave her a challenging smirk. "But let's go back to where we were. I'm not leaving until I kick your ass in this game!"

With how much fun he seems to be having, she didn't have the heart to tell him that lunchtime was almost over. But even so, she gave him an equally challenging smirk. "You're on."

* * *

When dismissal came, Fuyuhiko waved goodbye to Chiaki, who waved to him in return. He walked outside of their classroom as his mind recapped the events that transpired since he transferred here. First of all, his sister Natsumi got pissed at him for not telling her that he transferred to the reserve course, which he admitted to be a screw up on his part. Then today, he got invited to a round or two of playing video games with his classmate Chiaki. If he were to be honest, he wouldn't mind her presence as much as his other classmates. It's actually refreshing to see someone who isn't constantly down in the dumps and talk about how unfair the school is, which it is, he'll admit.

At the corner of the school building, he sighed. "I know you're out there. Come out." He said, not even turning his back towards whoever might be following him. Obeying his orders, the person following him revealed themselves. When they did that, Fuyuhiko turned towards them, shaking his head. "Peko, you don't have to do this anymore."

The bodyguard seemed unsure. "But, young master-"

"Stop." He requested. "Just call me Fuyuhiko. You know that I'm not the young master anymore."

"Fuyuhiko, you know that I can't leave you out of my sight. It's my job to ensure your safety." Peko replied.

The boy sighed once more, shaking his head. "Peko, I can handle myself. What happened that day, it wasn't your fault. It's my recklessness that did it." Turning back from her, he added, "If you don't mind me asking this, please watch over Natsumi instead. She's going to need you more than I do."

Though she hesitated to answer at first, in the end she yielded, regaining her composure in the process. "Understood."


	7. Chapter 7

At least three days have gone by since Fuyuhiko's transfer in the Reserve Course Department. So far, his impressions of the classes in the reserve weren't positive by any means. The homeroom teacher was, in his opinion, a stuck-up snob who somehow ate the rule book of the school, digested it wrong, and it's now talking out of his ass. And don't get him started on most of his classmates. Honestly, the atmosphere in here felt less like a class and more like a bar.

 _These lessons are bullshit. Even the lessons in kindergarten make more fucking sense than whatever crap he's pulling out._  The yakuza came to that conclusion as he filtered through the important details of the discussion. Their 'subjects', if that's what it's supposed to be called, were ridiculously difficult to understand. Hell, some of them could fit a college course a lot more than the high school department! At least this is one of the things he could sympathize with the rest of the reserve course students.

Fuyuhiko internally groaned at the classmate beside him. Apparently, someone shared the same sentiment with him, as Chiaki was out like a light once more. Well, at least her sleeping position wasn't as obvious as it should be, especially if he would wake her up. Instead of laying her head on the desk completely, she leaned her head on her palm in a slouched position on her seat.

Letting out a "Tch." at his friend's antics, he stretched out an arm and began to furiously tap on her shoulder. "Hey, wake up."

To his relief, Chiaki immediately woke up, but then again, anyone would if you tap them just hard enough repeatedly. The girl sleepily rubbed her eyes, muttering a quiet "Thanks." and adjusted herself, sitting upright before their teacher could notice anything. Since the teacher had his back turned at the time, he didn't notice a thing.

The man turned back to his class as he finished explaining the rest of today's topic. "Do you have any questions?" When he didn't receive any response of that sort, he pushed back his glasses and picked up several sheets of paper. "If that's the case, then I believe that you're all ready for a quiz."

* * *

By the time salvation arrived in the form of lunchtime, Fuyuhiko glared at the abomination before him, also known as his quiz's result. Though he didn't get a failing grade in it, passing the damn thing felt more like a labor that an epic hero could do than anything. He let out an annoyed growl before turning to glance at his classmate. "Don't get cocky just because you got a point higher than I did."

Chiaki tilted her head in confusion. "Huh?"

Well, that completely went over her. The boy quickly shook his head. "Forget about it. I was just trying to lighten the mood."

The two were outside the building of the reserve course as usual. For the past days, it's become their hangout spot, if you could call it that way.

"Kuzuryuu, would you mind if I ask you something?" The girl said, looking at him.

He shrugged. "If it isn't anything weird, then go ahead."

The reserve course student took a deep breath. "Why did you come to the reserve course?" Upon seeing his questioning look, she quickly added, "Please don't get me wrong, it's not that I don't like you or anything like that; in fact, I'm glad that I met you. It's just that you're part of the largest yakuza in Japan, right? Even if you graduate from a normal high school, you wouldn't have to worry about your future at all. I think."

Fuyuhiko sighed, closing his eyes in thought. "Hmm, you're not completely wrong there. If I were to be fucking honest, I attend this class for a more personal reason. I want to keep a closer eye on my sister."

His sister? "You mean the girl from the other day?" Chiaki asked.

"Yeah, that's her, alright." The boy shook his head fondly, recalling certain memories of his sister Natsumi. "Always had a short temper, and a horrible attitude that would make our mother blush. I know that Peko is her bodyguard, but I'm more concerned about Natsumi taking advantage of that privilege if the situation comes by that."

Fuyuhiko sighed. "I was going to be the next-in-line back then because I was the older one, but one day, she managed to prove herself to our family. Our clan was nearly put on the line one time, and even Peko couldn't have done something, but Natsumi refused to give in. She really did earn the title of the Ultimate Yakuza. In all honesty, she deserved the title more than I could ever dream of."

Though he looked proud of his sister, Chiaki wondered if there was more to it.  _Maybe he doesn't want to be left behind._  But, that wasn't her business to ask something too personal, and she felt that she intruded enough already.

"Now that's out of my chest, what about you?" The girl stared back at him, causing the boy to get defensive. "Hey! I told you why I came to the reserve course, so it's only fair that you tell me your reason."

The reserve course student responded, a faint smile on her. "I guess it's only fair. Well, at first, attending these classes never really crossed my mind. I...I used to be a loner back in my old high school. When Hope's Peak opened their classes, my parents saw it as an opportunity for me. They didn't want me to waste away in video games. Our family is well-off, and in the end, I agreed to their decision."

She let out a sad sigh. "Now that I'm here, I could now see their point. I don't want to go back to being a loner. I want to be more than an ordinary girl who's only good for playing video games. I want to be...someone better."

_I want to be someone whom Hinata could rely on, not drag him down._

"I see." Fuyuhiko replied and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I'll admit it's a bit ambitious, but eh, like I'm one to talk. I guess we're birds of a feather here."

Hajime is a good friend and all, but somehow, it felt nice to have someone to relate with.

* * *

Fuyuhiko walked out of the classroom by the time class ended. Upon coming out, he narrowed his eyes as he saw a student walk to somewhere. If it had been any other situation, he would be content to leave them alone. But, something about this didn't feel right whatsoever.

Suspicious, the yakuza quietly followed the student, and upon closer look, he recognized her as Sato. He watched as Sato enter the room where the cleaning supplies are held, and after making sure that no one else is watching, went inside.


	8. Chapter 8

"Oh no."

Sato took several steps back at the sight before her, clutching the now bloodied baseball bat. She didn't mean to do it. Fuyuhiko just happened to get in the way. But no matter how much she justified her actions, it wouldn't change the fact that she just took the life of Natsumi's brother. She just killed a member of the Kuzuryuu clan, and not just anyone, but the son of the current leaders. Sato knew that if they were to find out, they can and will hunt her down; especially Natsumi.

 _But that's only if they knew._ Sparing one last glance at the body of Fuyuhiko, the girl uttered a silent apology to him before going off to get rid of all evidence that she's been there inside a garbage bag. Since she is the student assigned to take the trash out today, no one will question her when she headed her destination to the furnace outside.

Sato could only feel heaviness in her chest, watching proof of what she has done burst up in flames.

* * *

When the next day came, the atmosphere of Class 77-B grew grim with the absence of Natsumi and Peko. No one in class could really blame them. After all, they just lost a family member.

Inside, the bodyguard lowered her head as she stood by the body of the former young master, currently covered by a white sheet. She silently cursed herself for failing her duty as a tool. If only she had the power to go against his request and do as her instincts have told her; she wouldn't have lost her childhood friend, and Natsumi wouldn't have to lose her brother.

For once in her life, Peko wished that she disobeyed Fuyuhiko's orders.

* * *

Outside the morgue, the yakuza heir raised her fist, and with a cry of rage, punched the wall with it, giving it a taste of her grief. Blow after blow, Natsumi didn't give herself a room to breathe as she continued through her assault.

"If they think that they can get away with killing one of us, they're fucking wrong. I'll find the bastard responsible for this." She said as with another punch to emphasize her point, not caring about the cracks coming from her blows.

"I'll hunt down the motherfucker who did this to you like the dog they are, and when I find them, they'll wish they were never born!" Another loud crack reasonated in her ears, but it failed to reach her senses. Not even the pain coming from her abused fist could compare to her loss.

"I swear to God, I'll kill the son of a bitch with my own two hands!" Natsumi vowed, giving the wall one last punch with a sickeningly loud crack.

By the time she was finally done, the yakuza pulled her hand up to her face, now taking in the numb, stinging sensation coming from her now bloodied fist.

But Natsumi didn't care about that. All she cared about was avenging her brother, no matter what it takes.

* * *

Sato was the next victim. This morning, the girl was found dead in the girl's bathroom. Like Fuyuhiko from two nights ago, her cause of death was blunt force trauma to her head. Due to how eerily similar the two student's cause of deaths were, many students began to fear the possibility of a serial killer in school. In order to prevent mass panic and to protect the school's reputation, the higher ups of Hope's Peak covered the incident up to prevent media from picking it up. They had no trouble doing so, considering that the victims were reserve course students; it would be slightly more difficult had it been ultimate students.

But that doesn't mean they had to like the outcome.

After hearing the murder of her best friend, Mahiru began to distance herself from her classmates, only letting Hiyoko talk to her. The artist refused to let her classmates see her cry, but when it all became too much for her, she ran to the girl's bathroom.

"Mahiru!" The nurse yelled, running after her friend.

With tears threatening to drop from her eyes, Mahiru ran past Natsumi, either she didn't notice the yakuza's presence or she was too upset to care about that particular detail.

The yakuza looked back to where the two ran off before they both vanished from her sight. Natsumi hates to admit it, but as much as she hates the viridian head, she didn't deserve to die like that; neither does Mahiru deserve the pain of losing someone you knew.

This only gives her more of a reason to hunt down the bastard responsible for it.

* * *

After hearing about the incidents, Hajime wished that he could do something about it. He briefly wondered if he should go and lend an ear to his grieving classmates, but before he could step out of the classroom to do so, he was pulled back by Nagito.

"Komaeda, what are you doing?" He questioned. The volunteer shook his head.

"Hinata, I think it's best if we leave them alone for now." Nagito said. "I know that you want to help them, and I would like to as well, but with the way things are for them right now, we shouldn't bother them."

Before the guidance counselor could muster a reply, the volunteer then added, "We'll give them our condolences if they're in the mood to be in the class and talk to everyone. But for now, they just need some space."

Hajime sighed. "I see what you mean, Komaeda. But, I can't just sit here and do nothing. I feel like I'm failing everyone if I don't do something."

Nagito placed a hand on his shoulder. "You aren't failing anyone, Hinata. However, you should know that not everyone will open up to you in a matter of seconds if you dig from them. Some will even be resentful if they feel that you're digging too much into their personal space. It takes time before they share you something personal to them."

"I guess you're right." Hajime admitted, finally giving in.

* * *

 

 _Playing video games with him may have let you become friends with him._  A deeper part of Chiaki's mind told her.  _But it certainly didn't help him live._

It's childish to blame yourself for an incident that wasn't even in your control, but the reserve course student couldn't help but feel partly responsible for the events that transpired. Losing Fuyuhiko hurt, and while she didn't know Sato that much, she knows that somewhere, the viridian-haired girl's family and friends are grieving for her.

What she's about to do is not only stupid, but also risks getting herself expelled from the reserve course, or worse. Chiaki wasn't happy at all when she discovered that the school not only covered up the incident; they also refused to conduct any investigations. The reserve course student wonders if this is the small, selfish part in her, but she knows that she won't let the perpetrator of the crime wander free, whoever they might be.

When she reached the building of the main course, she could see an adult man in front of the gates. Judging from his uniform, it's easy to guess that he's a security guard. The student weighed her options: on one hand, she could try sneaking inside the gate, which is incredibly risky even if Metal Gear did teach her a few things, and even if she tried, there's always the chance of the security guard catching her before she could even get in, which shouldn't be a chore considering how he's built. On the other hand, she could try asking to be let inside instead, which not only is stupid, but also runs the chance of the man yelling at her to go away before she could even say a word.

Taking a deep breath, Chiaki approached the entrance, and praying that this will work, attempted to sneak her way in. Rather predictably, the security guard immediately took notice of her presence, and yelled, "Hey!"

She nearly jumped at the volume of his voice. "Get lost, kid. Only Ultimates could get in." He said rather gruffly, intending to make her go away. But even so, the reserve course student steeled her resolve; she'll do something right for once.

Stepping forward, she asked, "Why won't Hope's Peak do something about the murders?"

The man growled in annoyance and said, "That shit doesn't concern you at all. Now get away from here."

She would be lying if she said that the security guard didn't intimidate her at all. As a matter of fact, even from a distance she could feel herself slightly shake at the presence of the man bigger than her. But, she has to try!

The moment she tried to force her way in, she didn't even manage to move an inch from her spot before the man grabbed her by the collar of her blouse, pulling her up so that they could meet at an eye level, and then pinned her to the wall. Even though he wasn't choking her, Chiaki couldn't help but gasp for air as she struggled under him.

"I tried asking you nicely," He said as his features darkened. "But you just had to be a stubborn little brat."

The student continued to futilely struggle against his hold. In a matter of instinct, Chiaki raised her right hand and attempted to punch the man in the face. To her dread, he managed to catch her fist without even batting an eyelid.

It wasn't very effective...

"Are you trying to play hero?" His question sounded more like a statement, staring the student down in her eyes. "If there's one thing that pisses me off more than anything, it's when people who don't know their place stick their noses in businesses that don't concern them."

Throwing her punch back to her, Chiaki felt herself fall over on the cold pavement. Before she could try to get up, she felt the security guard's foot crush her back, forcibly pinning her down. She bit back a cry of pain as the man pressed it deeper, ensuring that she doesn't escape.

"People like you only stick close to the Ultimates because you think that by being with them, you could at least be worth something." She wanted to yell on how wrong he was, but deep down, she knew he had a point.

"But the truth is, the only good you talentless people could ever be for is following them around like goldfish crap!" He added harshly as he momentarily lifted his foot off her, only to deliver a swift kick to her gut.

Chiaki cried out in pain, feeling her body slide away from the hard blow, both physically and verbally. As she braced herself for another round of beating, a voice she thought that she'll never hear again intervened.

"Juzo, that's enough!" The security guard, now identified as Juzo, was pushed away from her. Once she felt that the man was no longer within her distance, Chiaki forced herself to stand up and ran as best as she could, not even giving a proper look towards her savior.

* * *

"Nanami, is there something bothering you?" Hajime asked, watching his friend pack her console away into her bag.

Just earlier, he watched her stumble on her way to their meeting place. The guidance counselor was momentarily worried if she was being bullied in class, only for her to reassure him that she only fell down the stairs. It's hard to know for sure, but he's pretty sure that she didn't really fell on the stairs.

"It's nothing." Chiaki quickly replied, not even looking at him in the eye as she grabbed her bag. He knew that she's hiding something from him; it wasn't like her to be so distant towards him.

"Nanami, I'm worried about you. Please, just tell me what's wrong." He almost pleaded at that moment. "You can tell me anything."

"It's none of your business." To say that he was shocked at her rather harsh response would be an understatement. Upon seeing his hurt look, the reserve course student softened a bit and added, "I'm sorry. I'm just really tired today, that's all."

Hajime wanted to dig deeper, because he knows that there really is something bothering his friend. But then he remembered Nagito's words from earlier that day.

" _You should know that not everyone will open up to you in a matter of seconds if you dig from them. Some will even be resentful if they feel that you're digging too much into their personal space. It takes time before they share you something personal to them._ "

Sighing in resignation, he supposed that his usual methods would do more harm than good if he tried today. Maybe his classmate was right; he should give Chiaki some space.

"Alright, I believe you." The guidance counselor affirmed, giving her a small smile. This only served to make the reserve course student feel even worse about herself, though she didn't show it.

"Hinata, I'll be going now." She said, turning to leave.

But before she could go, she heard him ask, "I'll see you here tomorrow, right?"

Those words brought back her memories of meeting him that day. Now that she thought about it, if she had never met him, she would have never found the courage to speak with Fuyuhiko. In fact, she would have never found the motivation to become someone better. Whether she likes it or not, Hajime has changed her.

With a small smile, she turned back to him and replied,

"Yeah, I'll see you tomorrow."

* * *

Chiaki was glad that she didn't throw away the paper confirming the offer given to her just yet. So when she presented it to a security guard who isn't Juzo, she was quickly escorted inside an office.

From there, she saw a black-haired boy sneer to a nearby man and say, "This is our subject? She looks pretty underwhelming."

The man sighed and shook his head. "Please ignore him, Ms. Nanami. Matsuda here always had quite the sharp tongue, so forgive him if he might offend you."

He took his hand out. "I am Satoshi Inoue, the head of the Steering Committee of Hope's Peak Academy. You may call me Mr. Inoue for short."

The student gave his hand a reluctant shake. Now that she has a better look inside, Matsuda and Mr. Inoue weren't the only people here. An old man she hasn't met before and Headmaster Kirigiri were in here too. For some reason, the old man didn't look as enthusiastic as Mr. Inoue was.

The steering committee head then led her in front of a table, handed her a pen, and tapped a finger on the papers in front of her. "Before we could proceed with the Hope Cultivation Program, we need you to sign these in order to ensure your consent. Don't worry; we already have your parent's approval as you can see here." Mr. Inoue reassured her as he pointed at the signature her parents have signed.

But before Chiaki could sign the papers, she saw the old man give a solemn look to the headmaster, and afterwards turned his attention towards her. "My child, are you sure you want to do this?"

It was subtle, but the steering committee head shot a displeased look at the older man. Grandpa is probably worried for her safety, and she couldn't exactly blame him; they didn't give her much details about the program, besides the fact that it would give her a chance to be a better version of herself.

With her resolve steeled, Chiaki nodded and replied, "Yes. I've made up my mind."

Closing his eyes in resignation, the old man sighed and said, "Just please don't regret your decision afterwards."

She wasn't sure on what he meant by that, but for now, she focused on the task at hand and proceeded to sign the papers, sealing her deal.

From then on, Chiaki should have known that her promise with Hajime was broken from the start.

It's because from that day forward, the guidance counselor never saw her waiting for him at the fountain. Neither did she appear on the days after that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rest peacefully, Fuyuhiko and Sato. You both will be missed.  
> And good luck to Chiaki, who'll soon be subjected to body horror.
> 
> I promise that I'll give all of you a long, healthy, and most of all happy life in multiple other universes. Now, to poke some light-hearted fun out of this situation to hopefully make things slightly better.
> 
> Steering Committee: "Chiaki, sign these contracts and become ~~a magical girl~~ the Ultimate Hope!"
> 
> ...
> 
> My attempt at lightening things up was bad and I should feel bad.


	9. Chapter 9

Time heals wounds; that's what people have always said. Throughout his experiences as a volunteer, Nagito have personally seen cases where that saying had been applied. He's dealt with people in mourning before, specifically those who were struck by natural disasters and lost their loved ones during such incidents.

Though this time, it wasn't a natural disaster that caused such despair among his class. Sighing, the volunteer made a quick glance at the back of their classroom.

As he predicted, Natsumi stared down at her seat's desk, more often than not twiddling with a pencil for several moments before immediately putting it down. The yakuza had since discarded the school's brown uniform, and in the place of it, settled for wearing a more formal suit; a black blazer with a pencil skirt, black tie, and a white undershirt. Mahiru rested her chin on one hand, while the other one began to mindlessly scribble on her sketchpad. They were still seated quite afar from each other, but he can't help but notice that the two of them appearing to intentionally avoid each other for the past week.

Not that he can blame them, of course. He'll admit that he could care any less about students from the reserve course, and in some cases held certain distaste towards them, but he would certainly care if they were a loved one to one of his classmates. Besides, he can't be insensitive right now, especially at times like this.

When everyone saw their teacher place herself behind the teacher's table, the students began to straigthen themselves in their seats, bracing themselves for whatever important anouncement Ms. Yukizome is about to bear them with. Natsumi was the only one who didn't do so.

Taking a deep breath, the teacher faced towards her students with a melancholic look on her face. "I...I know a lot has happened since the murders that happened last week, and before I go on with the school's announcements, I want to give my condolences."

"I don't need your fucking pity." The yakuza muttered under her breath.

No one decided to comment on that particular response.

"Well, anyways," Ms. Yukizome continued. "I know that I shouldn't just dump this all to you, especially since some of you like Koizumi and Kuzuryuu are still recovering. In a week from now, everyone's yearly exams will be scheduled and are going to be held in the school's gym."

The announcement of the ultimates' yearly exams only served to heighten the growing somber mood of the class. Nagito saw how almost everyone weren't in the highest spirits to simply perform the school's exams. He supposed that it's understandable; if you failed the exams, the school will expel you.

She sighed. "I tried to get the higher ups of Hope's Peak to move the exams at a later date to give all of you some time to recover, but the old man running the steering committee wouldn't budge; he said that if ultimates were to truly deserve their titles, then they would be able to pass the exams, no matter the circumstances."

 _He should know that they're not just robots or data to be recorded._  Chisa added that last thought bitterly.

Lowering her head, she said with a heavy heart, "Everyone, I'm so sorry that I can't do anything more than that."

"It's alright, Ms. Yukizome. You did what you could." Hajime said in an attempt to absolve his teacher's guilt. With that, the rest of his classmates began to join in cheering their beloved teacher up.

"Don't blame yourself, teach. It's not your fault that the old geezer's a complete stick in the mud."

"I know that you don't hold the blame here, Ms. Yukizome, so please do not falsely accuse yourself."

"The mortals running this plane of existence were foolish beyond belief, but do not associate yourself with their misdeeds. You do not share the same guilt with them."

"Ms. Yukizome. If you're still upset, I could always leave you a bouquet of flowers everyday to help cheer you up."

"Hey, teach, if you want me to, I'll kick the old fart's ass for you!"

"YEAH! LET'S SHOW HIM WHAT WE, ULTIMATES, ARE MADE OF!"

"While I don't agree with Nidai and Owari's..erm, plan of confrontation when it comes to the steering committee head, I think I appreciate the thought behind it."

Nagito could barely suppress the smile on his face. They truly have changed a lot, no doubt about that.

Of course, it still doesn't solve the current problem with their upcoming exams, but they'll surely find a way for it. Even if they couldn't, the volunteer could take matters into his own hands. This wasn't the first time he'll have to do something impossible, after all.

* * *

"Hinata, I think you're overdoing yourself."

"Nah, I'm fine, Komaeda; I'm just sweating on the small stuff."

"That's a huge understatement and you know it."

Currently, the guidance counselor and the volunteer were inside the school's gym along with the rest of their classmates. Even though Hajime knew that he couldn't change the date of the exams, he thought that the least he could do is help everyone practice for it. Sure, it may have gone to ridiculous lengths such as becoming the referee for the mock match between Sonia and Peko, listening to an entire performance by Ibuki, or having to spend time being Hiyoko's guinea pig, but it's what's expected of someone with a talent like his; it's a guidance counselor's duty to help troubled students, right?

Hajime wiped the sweat from his forehead with a towel, taking a sip from his orange juice. He hadn't expected Gundham to be a lot more...erm, what was the right term for it? Ah, 'hot-blooded', as 'drill sergeant nasty' would be way too much; the team manager wasn't that far when it came to his coaching skills. Though he'll have to admit it is pretty effective.

"Okay, maybe I am overdoing things." The guidance counselor admitted with a sheepish grin.

The volunteer shook his head in fondness. Facing towards him, the boy donned a serious look on his face as he asked, "Now if you don't mind, kindly tell me what's bothering you, Hinata. I know that you're using this as a distraction from something else."

Hajime nearly choked on his drink at the accusation directed towards him. "H-Huh, what do you mean, Komaeda?"

"You're not the only one good at reading people. Now, tell me what's wrong, or else I'll have to pry it out of you myself."

The other boy cleared his throat. "Okay, I'll admit that I'm really stressed from this chain of events, but I swear it's nothing serious."

"Your tone and body language says otherwise, though. Girlfriend trouble?"

When Hajime shook his head at that, Nagito then asked, "Well, boyfriend trouble, then?"

"It's not that either."

"Well, then what is it?"

Sighing, the guidance counselor lowered his head. "There's this girl I became friends with in the reserve course. She's really quiet and a bit shy, but she's nice. We often played video games together after class and hung out on weekends."

Ah, so that's what it was. Nodding, the Nagito beckoned him to continue.

"Well anyways, a week ago, I think that there was something bothering her, but when I asked her about it, she wouldn't tell me." Hajime clutched the collar of his shirt, remembering the event that transpired. "I tried to find out what's wrong, but she told me that it wasn't my business."

Upon seeing a subtle glare from the brown-haired boy, he quickly added, "She apologized after realizing she came out a bit harsh, and before she left, I asked her if I would see her tomorrow."

"What did she say?"

"She said yes. But..." Hajime took a deep breath. "I never saw her the day after that. Even until now, she still hasn't shown up. Komaeda, do you think that I did something wrong? Was I insensitive?"

Placing a hand on his shoulder, Nagito shook his head. "I don't think it's your fault, Hinata. I can't say for certain, but if she's really as nice as you say, then I think there's a good reason for that. If not, well..."

The guidance counselor lightly chuckled at that. "I guess so as well. If all else fails, I could always try asking the homeroom teacher of her class. Maybe he'll know what's up."

"Now that's the Hinata we know and love." The volunteer said, lightly patting the back of the other boy. "Now, I think you should rest up. You're going to need it, especially for round two with Saionji."

The guidance counselor shuddered. "Don't remind me."


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I know that it's been more than a month since the last update, and I apologize for that. My laptop breaking down and having to be repaired, writer's block, and exams were one of the few factors for that.  
> On the bright side, I did some minor edits on Chapters 1-9, mostly fixing up some mispellings and grammar issues. I also added an extra bit of dialogue on Chapter 2.
> 
> Anyways, on with the show!

So far, practicing for their exams went off without a hitch. Hajime could tell that there weren't any problems among his classmates when it came towards their talents. But once the guidance counselor focused his gaze towards Natsumi, it immediately reminded him that not everything is all fine and dandy. As far as he saw, Natsumi was still avoiding Mahiru like the plague, and if the chance came that they would interact with each other, he could sense hidden hostility within the yakuza.

Along with that, the girl has been acting unpredictable lately. One moment she's silent and keeps to herself, and then the next thing you knew, she gets ticked off at even the smallest things. Not even Peko, her bodyguard, was spared from the young mistress's fury.

She's still grieving about her brother; that's understandable. But that doesn't excuse her current behavior towards everyone in the slightest.

With that in mind, Hajime began to knock on his classmate's dorm that night. "Kuzuryuu, are you in there?"

Her answer was immediate. "Go away, Hinata."

The yakuza's voice sounded tired and ragged, lacking the fire that she usually has from the past. It sounded wrong to him. Trying again, he then said, "Kuzuryuu, I only want to talk to you. If you really don't want to, just tell me and I'll leave you alone; it's fine."

Hajime was fully expecting for his friend to turn him down, to yell at him to leave her alone or to slam the door in his face; he's prepared for that. Instead, the door was slowly opened, revealing Natsumi's glare boring onto his very being.

"Get in and hurry the hell up." She snapped. "I don't want any misunderstandings between us, got that?"

Nodding, the boy got inside. He shouldn't screw this up if he wants things to get better.

* * *

Like their inhabitant, Natsumi's room is messy at the moment. It wasn't terribly bad, but he could see that there are a couple of wrecked glasses on the floor. The boy cautiously stepped inside, being careful to not step on them.

The girl took a seat on her bed, and crossing her arms, said to Hajime, "Alright, what do you want? If you're just here to waste my time, then I'm going to sic Peko on you."

Clearing his throat, he replied, "Kuzuryuu, I'm afraid that I'll have to be blunt. I know that you're still grieving, but that doesn't give you the right to just lash out at anyone when you're in the wrong mood."

"Is that all?" She asked; her glare intensified.

He shook his head. "There is still one more thing. It's frankly none of my business, and we know that you and Koizumi have had some history together, but don't you think that it's time to let go? Sure, I have no idea what happened between you two, but I think that it's kinda childish and maybe unhealthy to keep your feud going on after so much time has passed."

Natsumi didn't respond to any of that. Hajime supposed that it's alright. Turning away from her, the boy stepped his way onto the door. Before he left, he turned his head back to her.

"Of course, in the end, I have no right to tell you what to do. But, I still want to make sure that you're okay."

With those words said, the door closed, the boy leaving her alone once again to ponder in her thoughts.

* * *

Crowds of people are currently seated inside the school's gym. It's no surprise to see so many of them gathered inside; after all, today is the yearly exams every Ultimate student must take and pass in order to continue their stay at Hope's Peak Academy. The exam is simple enough; an Ultimate must showcase his or her talent after cultivating it for the past months they've been doing so and impress the judges.

If any Ultimate fails in the exam, then he or she would be expelled from the school. It might sound harsh, but it's necessary in order to keep the ultimate students at their feet and do their very best.

The judges and the audience weren't the only ones witnessing this big event; several reporters could be seen lounging around in front of the stage, some even having cameramen with them. It would be too easy to say that they were broadcasting it throughout the country.

In other words, it's all but a glorified talent show.

So far, every ultimate student has done spectacularly in showing off their talents. From Soshun Murasame's heartfelt speech to Ruruka Andou's new concoction, the judges were certainly impressed with how far the talented youths have come. The data they've gathered for years would finally be put to good use.

When the time for Class 77-B came, the audience watched eagerly from the edge of their seats, enjoying how each of the students performed and showcased their talent. In particular, they were impressed with the buffet prepared by the Ultimate Cook in only a matter of minutes.

As the show continued to go on with a literal bang, a red-haired girl took a small peek from the back of the stage, taking in the numerous amounts of people within the area. She heard how they gave her energetic classmate a round of applause at the end of her performance.

Before she knew it, her name was called.

"Next up, the Ultimate Artist: Mahiru Koizumi."

That was her cue. Giving one last, solemn look behind, Mahiru walked up towards the stage, and after giving a small bow towards her audience, began to to sketch on the canvas provided for her. Her fingers meticulously worked their way throughout the lines as the artist focused her attention towards her work. All the while the people watching her tensed in anticipation.

After a few minutes of silence, the girl breathed out a sigh of relief, and putting the paint brush, presented her finished work. Her finished painting depicted the lovely scenery of a local park: the sky's warm and bright, the park itself accurate to the real one it was based off while still having a unique feeling as poured by its artist, people portrayed as having a fun time together, the painting gave out a feeling of nostalgia.

Of course, they barely paid mind to the passion the artist put in their work. Instead, most of them focused on the painting by its surface, saying things like,

"Wow. That looks just like the real thing."

"As expected of the Ultimate Artist; she never disappoints us with her works."

"I'm not a judge, but I can say that she definitely passes!"

"Woah, that's a painting? I actually thought that was a real photographed picture!"

They all said similar things towards her classmates, so she wasn't surprised in the slightest. Their opinions don't really matter anyway; she only did what was asked. After the judges told her that she passed the exam, the girl stood up and facing the audience, gave a small bow towards them. With that over, she left without saying a word.

Once again, they only saw the talents performed right in front of their eyes without looking at the person right behind them. Not like it totally bothers her, really. For as long as she remembered, it's always been this way even before attending Hope's Peak Academy. Her works were more often than not, received with critical acclaim. People enjoy her works, demand for more, but in the end, only saw the surface, never venturing any further than that.

The backstage has never been this peaceful. Clearing her head, the artist then took a seat on a chair, giving some time for herself to relax. It was quickly dashed when she heard the last person she'll ever think of.

"Huh, you're here too. I guess that makes things easier." Natsumi commented as she approached the girl she once tormented during their younger years.

Looking up, Mahiru narrowed her eyes. She didn't dare to reply, silently hoping that the girl would get bored and leave her alone. The yakuza may have mellowed down in the beginning, but with her grief taking its toll; it wouldn't be a surprise if she started to lash out at her once again.

Noticing her reaction, she sighed and said, "Gee, can't I have a talk without anyone assuming the worst?"

The artist sighed. "Alright, what do you want this time?"

What the yakuza then said surprised her.

"So, what was that painting all about?"

The question caught her off guard.

Cases like this were rare. There was a time where people would often ask Mahiru about her interpretation of her artwork, and in which the artist would enthusiastically respond. However, her enthusiasm eventually faded when they didn't take her words at value, instead shifting their focus towards her art itself and completely ignoring the artist.

Deciding to play it safe, Mahiru then replied, "It's a park-"

Natsumi cut her off. "I know that it's a park, but that's not what I'm asking. I'm asking what it's really all about." Upon seeing the artist's bewildered look, she added, "Come on, I know that you didn't draw a park scenery just for shit and giggles."

"That's true." The artist replied. It's only a small voice within her, but somehow, she felt a bit happy that for the first time in a while, there was someone who asked the inspiration behind her work.

Deciding to humor her, she then said, "Well then, it's also the park where Sato and I used to play in when we were in middle school." She swallowed a lump in her throat at the mention of her late friend's name.

"I remember how she would often get sand all over her clothes, and I would have some sand in my shoes. And then, we would both be scolded by her mother." Mahiru let out a chuckle at the memory. "Sometimes, there would be bigger kids who'll try to take a spot for themselves, but Sato would try to fight them off, like she's a knight. Of course, it ended as well as you would have expected."

Natsumi nodded, listening intently. "I guess it really means that much to you."

"It does." The artist affirmed.

"Now I know why it looks familiar." Mahiru gave Natsumi a questioning glance, to which the yakuza then added, "My brother and I used to play in that park too when we were kids."

"Okay, it might sound less cutesy than your story since I would push him down on the sandbox; A lot." She said with a grin, reminiscing on how Fuyuhiko would then try chasing her after pulling that stunt on him. "I'll admit, seeing those people having fun in your painting made me remember those good old times. It's a good painting, Koizumi."

The artist wasn't sure on how she should react to this, but she supposed that she should at least acknowledge the compliment given towards her work. "I guess so."

Now that was out of the way, the yakuza thought. With a sigh, she looked at her classmate in the eye.

"Look, I'm not asking for forgiveness or for us to go buddy-buddy with each other," She began, "but I'll admit that I put you through a lot of nasty shit back then."

"And I know that you're probably holding it against me, so I can't blame you if that's the case. I'll just say that I think that this has gone on for too long, and it'll get tiring real quickly if I kept on with this bullshit for longer." Natsumi held her hand out. "Now, let's shake hands as two people who mutually dislike each other."

Upon seeing Mahiru's reluctance, she then added, "You don't have to do this if you don't want to. I'm fine with that."

The redhead took the blonde's hand, giving it a slow shake. "I don't really dislike you, though."

Upon letting go, the other girl replied, "That makes us even, then."

"Next up, the Ultimate Yakuza: Natsumi Kuzuryuu."

"Crap, that's my cue." She cursed. Natsumi mumbled a quick apology towards Mahiru before sprinting upstage.

She didn't notice it at first, but the artist then found a smile slowly forming on her face. She didn't care if the other girl is probably too far ahead to hear her. Waving a hand, she then cheered, "Good luck!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I'll try to keep this brief, but yes, I've decided to stop working on this fic; main reasons why include loss of motivations, stress and a few complications. I felt like I bit more than I could chew while working on this. I'll admit that I didn't really plan that far ahead in the making of this AU, and that I was just spewing out random ideas around and forced myself to write.
> 
> With that said, I really, really wanted to see this to the end. If possible, I might come back and try revisit this, but if I do, I might heavily redo it, not just in writing but also in terms of development for the characters and plot. For now, I'll stick to shorter works until I'm more confident in myself to try a longer fic.
> 
> With that said, thanks for following this up to now, and I'm sorry for disappointing you all.


	11. Author's Note

Hello, it's me. It's been at least half a year since I last updated this story, before cancelling it due to several reasons, with the main ones being my dissatisfaction on the direction it's going, and burning myself out in writing. Since then, I've been thinking of ways to improve this story and my writing in general as well as developing a remake, which I wasn't able to publish until now.

As I've put in the summary, the remake of this story is now out. While the premise is mostly the same, a few things will play out differently from how it was in here, and in addition to that, a few characters' fates will be slightly altered. I won't be specifying which ones I’m talking about, but you’ll get the gist of it.

Now, for what's going to happen with this version? Well, I'm going to keep it for now as a reminder to not repeat my mistakes. But if it ever comes to dealing with it, at best, I might leave it orphaned. 

With that said, thanks for following up Adieu, Normalcy! to its last chapter. I appreciate the support you've all given me.


End file.
